United Airlines: A crisis that keeps getting worse

By: Cole Buergi, Leonard & Finco Public Relations

There’s an old adage about being in trouble. It reads, “When you’re in a hole, stop digging.” That’s sound advice that was ignored by United Airlines (UA) immediately following a video on social media showing aviation police manhandling a passenger off a flight. Was this passenger being unruly or disruptive to deserve such treatment? No. He simply was chosen as one of four passengers to be asked to give up their seat as UA overbooked the flight.

With the incident itself creating a deep crater, UA should have realized the seriousness of the matter and stopped digging. Instead, UA grabbed the shovel firmly and started digging even deeper by issuing a statement to address the incident. It read:

"This is an upsetting event to all of us here at United. I apologize for having to re-accommodate these customers. Our team is moving with a sense of urgency to work with the authorities and conduct our own detailed review of what happened."
— United CEO Oscar Munoz

Not exactly what you would call a sincere apology and so full of fluff, that even the most corporate minded individuals recognized this as pure bologna. Not only did the original incident set social media ablaze, the statement added even more jet fuel to the fire.  

What should have immediately happened instead is textbook PR 101: Crisis Management which includes a full apology from Munez to the victim and to announce that immediate steps are being taken to ensure something like this never happens again. 

Instead, it took days for an apology and only after immense pressure was placed on UA and Munez. Since then, Munez has been making the media rounds clarifying UA’s position. Considering it’s stock price and brand destruction, it may be too little, too late.

What do you think UA should have done differently? If given a choice, would you pay more to fly a different airline just to avoid flying United Airlines?

Saying “Yes” in PR

By: Allison Barnes, Account Assistant, Leonard & Finco Public Relations

Someone recently told me their new motto in life was to say ‘yes’ to opportunities and experiences because it will either be a great time or they will have a great story on why it didn’t work out. After I heard this, I thought about how we could say ‘yes’ more in public relations. 

Staying on top of trends is easier said than done because there are so many to keep up with. The coolest social media platforms seem to change week by week, while other trends may feel out-of-date by the time you implement them. 

Think of an area in your business you would like to improve and choose one way to try to improve it. This could be anything from refreshing your social media content, trying a new computer program or testing out an organizational system for the office. Invest the time and energy it deserves to give it a fair chance, and see how it goes. If it works out, great, but if it doesn’t then don’t sweat it! What did you learn from trying it? Can an aspect of the implementation be changed for a better result? 

The same can be said for pitching a story to the media. If a reporter is interested and wants to do the story, you’ve reached your goal. On the other hand, if the reporter doesn’t like the pitch, they may tell you why it doesn’t work for them. This is valuable feedback to learn because it may inspire a different story to pitch, a new approach to the pitch or the reporter could reach out to you in the future on the topic.

Saying “yes” can lead to a lot of wonderful opportunities, lessons or success for your company. So, what will you say yes too?

Ready, set, run: breaking down the structure of Facebook advertising

By: Noelle Cutler, Social Media Specialist, Leonard & Finco Public Relations

What two steps come before you run? Get ready and get set. The same steps need to happen before running a Facebook ad. You have to get ready with a campaign plan and get the ad set up. Then, you can start running the ad!

Facebook advertising might seem simple because you can decide to run an ad on Facebook and actually start running it the very same day. But it really does require more planning than that. You have to make strategic decisions about marketing objectives, targeted audiences, budget and ad design. In Facebook Ad Manager, the ad structure is broken down to help you think strategically about each of those areas, from campaign to ad set to ad. Here’s the breakdown on each one:

1. Campaign. This is the highest level of your advertising plan. All you have to do at this level is name your campaign and choose your Objective. If you’ve never set up a Facebook ad before, I suggest using the Brand Awareness objective if you’re simply trying to spread your message or brand. If you’re trying to get people to go to your website, use the Traffic objective. There are eight other objectives, but those two are the broadest/easiest to set up.
2. Ad Set. The next step is to set up your ad set. Here you’ll determine the Audience, Placements and Budget & Schedule of your ads. You can have more than one ad set in a campaign. For example, if your campaign objective is to get people to visit the store page of your website (the Traffic objective), one ad set could target an audience ages 25 to 30 and the budget could be $50. Another ad set could target people who are 18 to 24-years-old and the budget could be $30. Those different ad set details can be programmed any way you want, but the campaign objective is the same: get people to your website.
3. Ads. Finally, you actually set up your ads. The Format is the first thing you have to decide; more or less the format is just a choice between one image, multiple images or video. The final thing to set up is the Page & Text, which is basically the ad itself; it’s the image and the text of your specific ad. It could also include the URL if your objective is to get people to go to a website. Again, you can have more than one ad in an ad set. Going back to the example of targeting 24 to 30-year-olds, you might want to use different texts and images. Same marketing objective, audience, placements, budget & schedule, but different actual ads.

There’s a lot more detail to each step, but hopefully, this helps explain the way Facebook structures their advertising. These are the things you need to decide before jumping in and running a Facebook ad. So get ready, get set and then run your Facebook ad!

PR FAQ: Why won’t the media cover my story?

By: Susan Finco, President, Leonard & Finco Public Relations

No matter what industry you’re in, you’re bound to get some frequently asked questions about what you do. In our business, it’s inevitable that someone will ask: Why won’t the news media cover my story? Why? Here my top five answers (which often start out as questions):

1. Does your pitch or release contain the necessary information, including the obvious who, what, where, when and why? If a reporter wants more information but can’t contact you, they’ll move on to something else. (Hint: If it’s a weekend or evening, include your cell phone number.)
2. Have you personalized the pitch or release for the type of media or reporter you are contacting? Radio doesn’t care if there are great visuals, but if you’re pitching something to TV, you better have a strong visual component. Don’t pitch a feature story about education to a business reporter. Know who you’re pitching before you contact them. A little research goes a long way.
3. Is there a reason for them to care? Why will their readers, viewers or listeners care about your story or the expertise you’re offering?  Give them a reason to care and you increase your chances of getting coverage.
4. It sounds like you’re selling something. Trying to get the news media to cover your story when all you’re doing is trying to sell something (and it’s obvious, believe me) is a sure fire way to have them ignore you. Sell your expertise, not a product or promotion.
5. What else is going on at that time? There may be a major news story they are following/covering that day or week. Sometimes, even the best stories are passed up because there’s something else going on. It happens.

I’m sure there are other answers to the question “Why won’t the media cover my story,” and I would love to hear your thoughts about it. What has your experience been with pitching the media? If you’re a reporter, what is likely to get tossed without you thinking twice?

Are your videos shining on different social media platforms?

By: Scott Stein, VP of Client Services, Leonard & Finco Public Relations

We all seem to be attracted to shiny things. There have even been studies of why people gravitate toward shiny objects. In today’s social media world, one could argue that those shiny things take the form of photos and videos on the platforms that we follow. Without a visual element, we are much more likely to ignore the post.

As a PR firm, we certainly encourage the use of visuals on social media. But just like text should be posted on social media with a plan and a purpose, so should your visuals. As Alex York pointed out in a recent piece on SocialMediaExaminer.com, it’s important to have the right video for each social media platform.

Planning a video for Facebook? Be sure to include captions. Facebook users most often watch video without sound, particularly if they are out and about in public or even sitting at their work desk. Always be sure the text you use is readable by creating contrast from the background. Light background=dark text and vice versa.

Don’t ignore live video on Facebook. It’s a new, but powerful tool. Consider content, timing and promotion before going live.

Twitter has now jumped into live videos. Since a reported 90 percent of Twitter users view videos on their mobile devices, it’s crucial that any video content (whether live or not) be mobile friendly.

With Instagram, there’s a one minute limit on videos that you post to your feed. With Instagram Stories, you have the option of streaming live video or posting a 10-send clip; both will disappear from your story after 24 hours. Whether you’re posting to your feed or your story, you’ll have to keep your videos short and engaging.

There’s no arguing that visuals make a big difference in whether people will notice and respond to your social media posts. When it comes to video, just be sure your video fits the platform you’re using. 

Do you use video with your social media efforts? Do you tailor your video to the platform that it’s on?

Back to Basics: does your website include this information?

By: Allison Barnes, Account Assistant, Leonard & Finco Public Relations

Websites can be frustrating in so many ways. Links that don’t work, out of date information, and impatiently waiting for content to load due to buffering. But one website pet peeve of mine is the lack of information some websites provide to viewers. Why have a website if it’s not up to date or does not show potential customers how to reach you or what your business stands for? Here are the basics I think every website should include: 

• Contact information - A business website should make it clear where the business is located, mailing address or the best way to contact the company. Most websites include this information either on the top or bottom of a page or on a separate “Contact” page. Items like employees’ names, title, phone number and email address should also be easy to locate. For large businesses with hundreds of employees, don’t list every employee, but be sure to include key contacts, such as the President/CEO, department heads, and customer service reps. All contact information should be updated as soon as any of this information is changed.                            
• Links to social media - If your business is on any social media platform, a link or username for each platform should be available for website visitors to find. Setting up social media accounts takes time, so show off your hard work! Social media accounts should also include up-to-date contact information like the company address, website url, phone number and a general email address for inquires, and general information about your business. Think of your social media page as a small website, explaining what your company does and how it got started. Get visitors interested in your business, so they want to learn more about it, your products or services.
• Accurate information - Your business spends a lot of time perfecting your services, products and brand, so keep up with it by providing accurate information, such as products available, current job openings and event calendars. Don’t disappoint visitors with inaccurate information about who you are, a product that is no longer manufactured or a job posting that has been filled.

Provide visitors with the information they want and need to know about your business. They will appreciate your honesty and will hopefully make a purchase. What would you add to websites that typically isn’t included? I would love to hear from you!

Great marketing strategy or just plain wrong? - You be the judge

By: Cole Buergi, Leonard & Finco Public Relations

With the myriad of news stories and Facebook posts that have gone overboard on both sides of the political aisle in the past year, few things in the news or on social media surprise me anymore. That is, until yesterday when the USA Today ran a story that, for Valentine’s Day, Burger King locations in Israel are offering an adult meal, complete with a sex toy.

No, this is not fake news: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/nation-now/2017/02/14/burger-king-giving-away-sex-toys-adult-meals-valentines-day/97885854/. The adult meal comes with one of three items, a feather duster, head massager or blindfold.

Now I don’t speak for everyone, but I have to believe that most people are thinking, “Really, who would come up such an idea? And, more importantly, why?”

If the idea was to get an attention-grabbing headline, well I would say mission accomplished. If it was for any other reason, then my response is eww! Imagine coming home to your significant other and saying, “Hi love, you’ll never guess what I got at Burger King.” Nothing in my mind could be less romantic. Not to mention your new blindfold smells like a Whopper or French fry grease. Add in that Burger King caters to all age groups and now parents will have to explain why there is a special meal package on the menu for adults only.

What are your thoughts? Is utilizing the “shock effect” the only way to get people’s attention in today’s extremely cluttered information world? Has Burger King entered an area of inappropriate marketing?